The commonly used live video streaming app is now available for Android devices through the Google Play Store, ignoring its foremost rival Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR). On April 30, Meerkat came to Google Play store and the free of cost app is supported by the Android 4.2 gadgets. It may have some issues as it is currently in the beta mode. The company has already announced an update to the app. Google Play tracker has already recorded over 500,000 installs so far.
Meerkat vs. Periscope
Currently, there are two Android apps of the same format – Meerkat and Periscope from Twitter, and the former is already gaining ground, even though the latter has been there much before. Periscope is available on the iOS platform and still has to be launched for Android, and that has been an advantage enjoyed by Meerkat.
According to officials, “While Meerkat may have started the revolution; Periscope is set to take over, with more features, more ways to get connected, and the power of Twitter behind it all.”
Another advantage that Meerkat enjoys is that the app works on Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB). This means that the users can use a Facebook login, and they do not need to use Twitter.
The address book is automatically scanned, and addresses get updated easily for the user. Meerkat has done this after Twitter decided to cut the app off from its services, and that was when Periscope came into being.
Meerkat update better
Users who have used both apps, feel that Periscope is superior in quality, but Meerkat promises an upgrade soon and analysts are hoping that it would be able to garner better response because of its multi-platform availability.
Meerkat update works like YouTube by showing the popular streams on the front page of the app so that the user does not have to keep searching and has hands-on access to the trending streams.
“There is also new emoji support. You can now use an emoji to express yourself; when you do so, your profile image will briefly switch to whichever emoji you selected,” the company statement said.
